


Haunted

by MoonPudding



Category: Bravely Default
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-07-03
Packaged: 2018-02-07 07:12:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1889733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonPudding/pseuds/MoonPudding
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Perhaps, just perhaps, wielding one of the Asterisks for a little too long may end up adversely affecting the party, Tiz had always  thought. And too soon, he might find out if his theory is true.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Haunted

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not happy with how it turned out, but the premise was one I wanted to work with, beginning on one lazy evening where I wondered what it'd be like if the Asterisks affected their users more than "hey, have some cool powers!"
> 
> Anyway, I'm mostly garbling at this point. I'm really not confident of this, but I hope you can manage to enjoy it, or that it provokes some thought, in the least!

There's something oddly sinister about the gleaming of the Merchant Asterisk, thinks Tiz as he hands it to Edea, who had requested it. It's glittering, almost as if in excitement for more PG. 

They don't usually stay as their jobs for longer than a week or two, and Tiz had been relieved about that since the first moment he saw Asterisks in person. Now, however, everyone wants to take a good, long break from swapping jobs constantly, and Tiz's lips are thin as he keeps the Red Mage one out of Ringabel's hands, declaring it off- limits for everyone.

No one quite minds, anyhow, except for Ringabel, but even he drops it with a forlorn sigh.

Instead, the philanderer finally settles for the ninja, quite liking how it makes him look "dark and mysterious," earning a small slap from Edea in the process. (that ring in a backhand slap looks like it hurts a lot, Tiz reflects.)

And as for Agnes, well, she settles on Summoner at long last, selecting it because it makes her feel powerful--and rightfully so-- and he has to admit, it fits her quite well; these beautiful wings adorning her hair.

Oh, only if they weren't the byproduct of horrors past...

Tiz himself frowns and abides the Thief Asterisk for now, pocketing the others into their special bag, and stuffing that beneath everything else in his bag, wishing to look at them no longer.

They lie at the bottom of his bag, a heavy weight among other items, but the heaviest of all- forever there even after he's pushed them to the back of his mind, trying to pay no attention to them. They're necessary, he tells himself, necessary... And, by Susano-o, they are, but why do they have to be such horrifying little objects too?

"It'll be fine," chides Edea as she skips off, her foofy hat held happily in her hands before she puts it on with her tongue stuck out in concentration as she straightens it properly.

That simple action feels a lot to Tiz like the sealing of their fate, but he simply bears it, gritting his teeth and offering a pensive nod and a forced smile. No one pays heed, and he's not whether to feel concerned about this or not.

***  
Days slowly change into weeks, and weeks melt into months, almost seamlessly.

Finally, roughly two months later, he's sneaking around a corridor of the Grandship and finds Edea, hunched over a desk, with her candle low and something shiny glinting beneath the light.

He sneaks closer to find that it's their currency, and realizes that it's her who had been hoarding their money (And making it disappear without reason all these days, beginning a couple of weeks after they'd decided on their current jobs). "One billion.... One billion and two... One billion and three... One billion and four..."

Her voice is laden with an air of obsession, and so very focused, as the clinking continues. There's a huge pile to her left, and to her right, is a huger still pile. There are bags under her eyes, Tiz finds, when she leans down to rub at one of them, clearly having been at this for a few hours into the night. Her droning voice begins hammering into his head, and he can feel a headache coming on.

His brow furrows in concern and also bitterness. The bitterness makes him stop in his tracks for a few moments, wondering where the bitter dread of money, and Edea, his friend, came from. But it's there, clear as daylight; his heart's swirling heavily with a dark burden of clouds.

...Very worrying, that's for certain.

He slinks off, bandanna ruffling against his chest as he prowls.

***

The next companion whom he finds is Ringabel, staring out across the Grandship from inside shadows. His mask is over his face, and at an inquiring look from Tiz, he lifts it to reveal a frown before lowering it again and crossing his arms.

The ninja definitely doesn't want to talk, and Tiz rolls his eyes.

"Stupid silent--"

Tiz stops himself, biting his tongue hard enough to taste blood. Oh, shoot. Ringabel, if he heard, doesn't pay any attention to him, and Tiz shakes his head in sad dismay at this. If Ringabel had heard him say that, he would've... made a big deal out of things, been noisy.

This silent Ringabel... worries him. It was worrying in the past when he, Ringabel, of all people, didn't speak often, and it's still worrying even now, despite it being so gradual over two months.

He doesn't like it, nor does he like the billowing in his chest that is getting worse the more he wanders.

When he looks up to ask Ringabel something again, he's startled by what is there--or, rather, isn't there. Ringabel's gone, and a quick glance around (and up, just in case) determines that he's... not anywhere, near.

And so Tiz starts a lonely walk through the Grandship, having hoped at least to ask Ringabel to accompany him on a quiet walk.

Though, he supposes, maybe it's better this way; less worry about how quiet his friend is nowadays, and Tiz himself left in silent, brooding thoughts.

***

The most horrifying of them all is Agnes, who has gone from being a quiet, demure and kind woman, to... someone who sits there plucking at flowers, giggling derisively to herself, muttering inane things to herself, all usually quite violent.

"Mmm... Maybe if I do this..."

In an instant, the flower is immolated by fire that explodes out of her hands, and Agnes stares at the ashes for a while, before she suddenly explodes in laughter, her lithe body wracked with violent shakes.

That is, until he clears his throat, and she freezes immediately, stiffening visibly, bristling and glaring over.

There's a huge pile of plucked, burnt, and otherwise maimed flowers around her, and he doesn't dare ask where she got them from, considering they're nowhere near Florem right now.

...something in him says they're probably the flowers from the Drunken Pig, anyway.

She slowly stands and some flower petals, some singed, fall out of her lap as she does so, and Tiz's stomach suddenly lurches with fear. Fight or flight...

He clenches his fists, willing that feeling to go away. Agnes is still Agnes, and... she wouldn't hurt him. She wouldn't hurt anyone.

That thought is hard to keep entertained, however, as he keeps his eyes trained on the wrecked flowers at her feet, his heart fluttering away --and not in the good way, either. It's making him feel nauseous, actually...

"What is it?" she hisses, a low and fearsome whisper.

"...Nothing."

He calmly turns around and walks away, shoulders heavy. He hears more high laughter a few moments later, glancing back to see her back to work on some other flowers, chuckling. Then there's a loud caw later, and a bird has crashed onto deck, its wings smoking as they start going alit--

The sight is enough to make him want to retch, and he immediately rushes away before he sees more.

***

He's sitting in the captain's quarters, all alone, his knife waggling between his fingers and his posture hunched, free hand curling up into a fist and uncurling, time again and again.

He's so bitter, so lonely... So angry...

So thirsty....

....Thirsty? But they have enough water...

....Perhaps thirsty for company, then--company that doesn't pity him, company that isn't idiotic, company more like....

Like?

He's not sure.

But he is sure, however, of the dark hatred overtaking his heart, and he grits his teeth, trying again to bear it for everyone. But... perhaps, a new job change is fine. Yeah, something more... cheery, something happier. Change's great.

He quietly opens his bag, glaring daggers at the Asterisks that look so disgusting and sickening to him, and reaches in, digging around.

***

Soon enough, Tiz's wandering the Grandship, a simple sigh of relief escaping his lips. He's in his Freelancer clothes again, enjoying how comfortable they are, enjoying the freedom from these intense pangs of the Thief Asterisk.

He sets out on his tasks, trying to convince the others to change into different jobs, if only to let them escape for a moment from the heavy air of their respective Asterisks.

For Edea, it's simple; all he has to say is that perhaps, as a Thief, she could take more money, by force, and not get penalized for it--an idea she's very behind, her eyes sparkling with ungodly greed. Then she's out of merchant clothes and in thief clothes, her eyes clouded over with worry, lips biting each other. There's still greed, but it's ebbing away slowly the further she's apart from her, no, the Profiteur's Asterisk; it no longer has such a strong hold over her.

They decide to tackle Ringabel together, Edea trying to convince him, pleading that he try something else, where he won't feel so.... shy and in-need of silence, that he doesn't have to spend so long in the shadows, skulking. Tiz adds in that he is rather sure that Ringabel has a wonderful voice, and presents the Performer Asterisk. Ringabel's fingers touch it, and he nods in quiet approval, before changing clothes.

The quite squeaky notes that follow, as a result of Ringabel using his voice after so many weeks of never using it, are ... Well, quite well worth it, honestly. It's such a relief to hear him again, even if it is less than pleasant to the ears.

Agnes is the hardest to convince, however, even with the other two's help.

She's so pent up on destroying things, on venting her own broken bitterness (and Tiz winces, knowing how painful it is to come out of tht world, realize you thought and did things, to know it wasn't really your hands--that they're stained-- they've got to be even worse for Agnes, too, as Tiz hadn't done anything beyond spiteful thoughts...).

And so, it's here that they find themselves shouting hoarse at Agnes, who's setting things aflame, freezing things, and cursing them all to the Nine Pits.

"Agnes," yells Edea as she barely avoids the huge onslaught of Promethean Fire, "stop it and just take the Arcanist Asterisk already!"

"No!" shouts the vestal back, "You're not taking what makes me away...! you're not taking my last source of power!"

Ringabel grits his teeth and strikes a pose, and Tiz feels the heat of Agnes' Promethean Fire sting less. He thanks Ringabel with a grateful nod for his well-timed Key to your Heart, then carefully stalks up to Agnes, who's mostly flinging her spells at Edea, who's barely managing to avoid with a good amount of support from Ringabel's Love Rushs.

"Agnes," says Tiz, and the enraged Summoner turns to glare at him, her eyes wide with hatred and fear, "please calm down and... Just try the Arcanist Asterisk, won't you? It, uh... You can.. Uh... Torment things more with it... Y'know, make their suffering longer."

He feels sick to his stomach saying it, but he knows he's appealing to the violent side that's prominent right now, praying to himself that it works, that Agnes accepts. For all of a moment, Agnes looks even more like she's going to set a summon on him, but soon calms down, the fire around them roaring its disapproval. Her fingers close around the Arcanist Asterisk, and she walks off to change.

Edea and Ringabel both drop to their knees in relief, Ringabel clutching his and sighing a huge, ragged sigh, and Edea panting as her fingers clutch at the planks of the Grandship, which are fortunately only singed from the summoned fire.

Soon enough, Agnes is back, her pigtails bouncing as she's in clothes not dissimilar to Victoria's, and she looks like she's going to burst into tears, and Tiz moves to comfort her, patting her back and telling her it's okay.

They all agree to, after this fiasco, no longer stay in possession of an Asterisk for longer than a couple of weeks, much to Tiz's relief on one balmy and peaceful evening on the Grandship, lounging in the Drunken Pig and sipping the Proprietress' lemonade that she had served to them cheerfully.

"Good, then. They're... powerful, that's for sure."

Everyone else nods to Tiz's statement, and the air in the Drunken Pig is relaxed.

Tiz finally feels at peace with the Asterisks; horrifying items to be respected, but a source of great power to assist them on their journey.


End file.
